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105-Year-Old Frenchman Sets World Cycling Record: 'I'm Not Tired'

“I’m now waiting for a rival,” cyclist Robert Marchand said after setting a world record on Wednesday.

The 105-year-old Frenchman rode into the history books by traveling 14.010 miles in one hour and setting a record for the 105-plus age category, which was created especially for him, the Associated Press reports.

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“I did not see the sign warning me I had 10 minutes left,” the cycling veteran said after the race. “Otherwise I would have gone faster, I would have posted a better time.”

“I’m not tired. I thought my legs would hurt, but they don’t,” he continued. “My arms hurt, you have to hurt somewhere.”

The former firefighter from Amiens, France was told time and again that he would never achieve anything in the world of cycling due to his small stature.

Sipa/AP

But despite being 5 feet tall and weighing just 115 pounds, Marchand began racking up accomplishments at the age of 68. He cycled from Moscow to Paris in 1992 and set the record the 100-plus category with a 62-mile ride.

Marchand says a plant-based diet and daily cycling regimen are the secrets to his longevity, according to the BBC.

“He never pushed his limits, goes to bed at 9 p.m. and wakes up at 6 a.m., there’s no other secret,” his coach and good friend Gerard Mistler told the AP. “If had been doping, he would not be there anymore.”

After this most recent feat, Marchand said he wasn’t making plans for future competitions. Mistler, on the other hand, said he would not be surprised if the cycling veteran set more records in the future.

“Setting goals for himself is part of his personality,” he said. “If he tells me he wants to improve his record, I’ll be game.”

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